JCF now equipped to find leaders within, says Chang
Published:Wednesday | May 22, 2024 | 12:13 AMAdrian Frater/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang has said that going forward, the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) will be looking inward to fill leadership vacancies, including the post of commissioner and in areas of specialisation.
Speaking on Tuesday at the 81st Jamaica Police Federation’s Annual Joint Central Conference in Montego Bay, St James, Chang said that with the JCF now up to establishment level and the organisation renewed and modernised, the JCF is now ready to embrace 21st-century policing.
“We welcome technical support from partners internationally and the private sector, but the operations and command structure of the force must be led by Jamaicans who are trained and developed in the Jamaican police force,” said Chang. “It is not reasonable or fair to, when we have a challenge in any field, whether the appointment of the commissioner or officers who need to deal with specialise areas such as investigations and anti-corruption, look beyond our shores.”
The minister said that Jamaica – and the JCF – has men and women with the capacity to lead effectively and take on the challenge of law and order.
In speaking to the calibre of the recruits now enlisting in the JCF, Chang said that unlike former times, when bright, young people were reluctant to join the police force, they are now entering the force and staying, which is putting the JCF in a position to usher in a new era of innovation, efficiency, and excellence.
“We are recruiting some of the brightest and the best in the society … . At the graduation, I am seeing some of the brightest of the best of Jamaica, men and women,” said Chang. “They are staying in the force, and we will keep them there to do the job that is required of them.”
Turning to the level of crime in the island, Chang said the signs of progress in tackling the issue are encouraging as based on the latest statistics, the country is now seeing a 24 per cent reduction in major crimes.
“Twenty-four per cent is an outstanding achievement by the men and women of the Jamaica Constabulary Force, given the ecosystem in which we operate,” said Chang, who credited the reduction in the investment in building the force.
The minister also highlighted the major investments in building new police stations and refurbishing others as well as the ongoing digital transformation of the force, which is one of the areas in which the police commissioner has special expertise.
“There is a team of officers working to bring the police’s technological status to 21st-century levels … . This is where the change will come – efficiency increased and the capacity to get the job increased exponentially. Your current commissioner of police is one of the leading forces in that, but it is an entire team of young officers which the country can take pride in,” he noted.